Yoga Stretches for Beginners

Yoga asanas (Yoga poses) series are of different types.



All modern yoga schools, be they Iyengar, Viniyoga, Bikram, Ashtanga, or Vinyasa have their own notions about how to sequence Yoga practice. Most of them happen to be linear. Meaning to say, one asana flows into the next in a consistent step-by-step direction.



You also progress from the easier to more the more complicated and complex ones, then, once again revert back to the simpler poses.

As a general rule, a Yoga series such as this begins with simple warming-up exercises. These are intended to set a theme for your Yoga session.



They, gradually, intensify to the tougher asanas (poses), and then slow down to cooling poses and the session terminates with Shavasana (Corpse Pose).

However this is just one way of a Yoga sequence, because by and large every pose in the sequence is done only once. Then again one can even do perform all the poses 2 to 3 times. Every time you focus on a different aspect of the pose. Take, for instance, Tadasana (Tree Pose). You can first do the asana concentrating on your feet or legs. Then you are free to repeat it, focusing on our spine or arms.

You can also build an entire Yoga sequence around just one asana such as Triangle pose. Then you can return to it again and again. Likewise, you can use the other poses in the series to explore different aspects of the main pose.
There are lots of relaxing stretches in Yoga. In fact, most of the Yogasanas are stretching, contracting or twisting. Listed below are some of the stretching asanas for beginners:

• Tadasana – Mountain Pose
• Vrikshasana (1) – Tree Pose
• Trikonasana – Triangle Pose
• Parivritta Trikonasana – Inverted Triangle Pose
• Uttanasana – Hand to Foot Pose
• Janu Sirshasana – Head to One Knee Pose
• Paschimottanasana - Head to Knees Pose
• Purvottanasana – Inclined Plane
• Matsyasana – Fish Pose
• Adho Mukha Svanasana - Downward Facing Dog Pose